Pedestrian-vehicle accidents are all too common. This is true even when drivers are paying attention and pedestrians are able to see and hear clearly. The problem is exacerbated with more drivers being distracted using smartphones while driving. The problem is also compounded for pedestrians who are visually impaired, who often need assistance in crossing streets and navigating busy intersections. With the advent of autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles, the problem will get worse.
There is a need to develop systems and methods to assist the visually impaired pedestrian to improve his or her safety. Currently, the visually impaired pedestrian does not have an accurate and dependable technology to assist them in safely crossing a street without another human's help. Some research groups proposed systems that depend entirely on GPS for accurate positioning to determine the exact locations of an incoming vehicle and the visually-impaired person. However, the systems that rely only on GPS alone lack the extreme accuracy that is needed to assist the person to cross the street. There is a need to develop this technology.